“If you never start, you’re never making progress.”

That may sound simple enough, but when it comes to the direction of your entire company, statements like that tend to resonate. Especially when those words come from the former Chief Talent Officer at Netflix.

Patty McCord’s words of wisdom weren’t the only ones resonating through the pews of The Search Church, however. Joined by input from Moz founder Rand Fishkin and Seer HR boss Emily Allen, Seer founder Wil Reynolds put together an unmistakable cast of leadership all-stars.

The “Pioneers of Company Culture” event was the last such conference at the current Seer headquarters, but it certainly sent the Search Church out in style. The PCG team was in attendance on May 14, and we took plenty away from this one-of-a-kind event.

Perks and Culture Aren’t Interchangeable

It’s a common misconception, but great perks aren’t quite akin to a great company culture. Rather, it’s the values behind them that make up your culture.

For example, hourly flexibility is a perk, while striving to offer a true work/life balance is a value. It’s what you want your company to believe in that really constitutes your culture.

A solid company culture is a representation of who you are at the core, identifying what drives your company forward even at the expense of the almighty dollar. This really has to start from the top, at least in terms of leading from example.

In the words of Rand Fishkin, “founders have to represent the culture they want.”

Diversity is the Spice of Life

Another oft-discussed topic at the summit was diversity in the workplace, both in terms of gender and race. While hiring the best possible people for the positions you’re offering was stressed, the belief is that truly objective hiring should yield properly diverse results.

“Diversity is at the core of empathy,” Fishkin said, and it’s easy to see the point. When your team is representative of multiple backgrounds, it’s easier to have understanding for both your clients and your coworkers.

Take Cues from the Field

McCord may have said it best, stating, “People hate senseless bureaucracy and stupid process.”

In other words, people want real input in their workplace. Our office environment ultimately has a large impact on our everyday lives, so wouldn’t it stand to reason that we’d want a voice in that?

If founders and management are expected to embody the culture, then employees are truly the ones responsible for enacting it’s everyday dealings. However, that does come with the caveat that a clear cultural message is necessary from the start.

Culture has to be constantly and consistently communicated, both in terms of words and actions. In other words, there may be no more important sentiment to take than this: if your culture isn’t well defined, then you really don’t have one at all.